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The number one concern for local people is that many can no longer afford to buy a home in places like Kirkby Stephen, Appleby and Penrith. The Eden Valley may be able to boast that it has the lowest rate of unemployment in the country, standing at just point eight percent of the working age population, but a big proportion of the people who work here are in low paid jobs in tourism and agriculture.
 | | House prices outweigh earnings. |
The average salary in the area is between £16,000 and £17,000, whilst the average house price is £194,000. It's also an ageing population. Eden District council says the area attracts a high proportion of people who are about to retire. They're usually more affluent, which pushes the house prices up further. That in turn leads more younger people to leave the Eden Valley, which can leave some local businesses struggling to fill job vacancies.
 | | Scenic towns but local people can't afford to stay |
Center Parks, which runs a leisure centre in the Whinfell forest, has to bus in cleaners from outside the district. Andrea Hines, the Economic Development and Tourism Manager, says there are a number of challenges facing the area in the future. She says trying to get local businesses to pay more would obviously assist young people who want to get on the housing ladder but in reality, it is difficult to persuade firms to increase salaries.
 | | The River Eden |
Building more affordable housing may also help but strict planning regulations also makes this a difficult option. Eden's population is forecast to rise sharply over the next ten years, perhaps by two or three times the national average. It means for those who are lucky enough to be born and brought up here, the fight to stay here will probably only get harder. | 
